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“It might be weird flirting with you,” she answered, avoiding his eyes.

“Weird? Why? We’ve done this many times before.” He pouted.

A laugh almost escaped her lips, but she knew well to push it down. He was trying to make her comfortable enough to go through with the challenge.

“You’re like my brother,” she added.

He clutched his heart and groaned in pain. “There are no more terrible words than the ones you’ve just spoken.” He shook his head. “So you only see me as a brother, do you?”

No.

“Yes,” she answered. “As such, I can’t sufficiently charm you.”

“Humor me, then. I’ll be the judge of that.” He winked. “And who knows, maybe I could charm you into seeing me as more than a brother.”

She scoffed and said nothing, proud of herself that she’d convinced him of her lie. There was nothing brotherly about the way she studied his full lips, wondering if it were so wrong to imagine how soft they were.

When the musicians struck a familiar tune, Richard took her hand and led her to the middle of the ballroom for their first dance, which was a fast reel she had no trouble keeping up with. She looked at him once and found that he too had no trouble keeping up with the dance.

“I didn’t know you could dance this well, Your Grace,” she commented.

“There are a lot of skills you don’t know I possess, Miss Burlow,” He winked at her.

“Would you be so kind as to tell me about some of them, Your Grace?” She winked back, playing his game.

He gave her a lopsided smile and leaned close to her ear. “It would be my utmost pleasure to show you instead.”

She reddened as the double entendre sank in, and she slapped his arm to indicate he’d scandalized her.

“That kind of talk could get us in trouble.”

“What kind of talk?” he asked innocently. “I’m only implying that I’m very good with my hands and lips on occasion.”

She laughed then, loud and long, earning her a few stares. “You are very naughty.”

“And you are a good student,” he praised. “I am impressed by how quickly you’ve absorbed my teachings.”

“You are a good teacher.”

He stood a little straighter at her praise. “And I must admit you do look ravishing in that dress. I have good taste in clothes.”

She looked down at her dress and smiled. “Indeed.” She did a little spin, showing off the dress. “I would have never picked anything so daring before now. Mother was livid when she saw me in it.”

“But you still wore it.”

“Yes. I wanted to see your reaction when you saw me in it.”

“Indeed?”

She nodded, reddening at his surprise. She wondered how he’d take her admission that she’d worn the dress for him.

His reaction had given her the confidence she hadn’t known she’d needed when she’d stepped into the ball. The slight widening of his eyes and then the broad smile that followed had made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the room.

Catherine had wondered briefly what the future would look like if she were to marry Richard. He definitely promised nights that would never be cold and laughter for days, but she couldn’t delude herself into thinking that she could hope to keep his attention for the rest of their lives.

He was a man used to the attention of the most beautiful women. What hope did she have to keep his attention?

“And was my reaction sufficient?” he asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.